3 Practices To Utilize That Keep Customers Coming Back

One of the most important facets of any business is customer retention, or the ability to keep consumers coming back. This is not always easy, but the benefits of building a base of loyal consumers could go a long way toward giving you a leg up on your competitors. Here are three simple ways to keep customers coming back.

1. Get Them to Sign Up

This is one of the most difficult aspects of your business, but it is crucial to customer retention. Many consumers are ambivalent about giving you their personal information. At this juncture, it may be helpful to inform them that registering as a member in your CRM comes with a host of benefits, including the ability to track their orders online. When they do sign up, they will have afforded you the ability to streamline their personal information, as well as any notes which your IT team has included in their interaction with that customer, allowing any issues to be handled more swiftly. Finally, you can use those notes and the customer's behavior within your CRM module to customize offers for later.

2. Maintain a Responsive Customer Service Unit

When customers call the Customer Service line with your business, they are doing it hoping to resolve a conflict for which they believe you are at fault. The customer is always right, but there is more to customer service than taking phone calls and resolving conflicts. It includes calling women 'ma'am' and men 'sir.' It involves treating customers' grievance with care, and fast-tracking customers who have expressed concerns about waiting on hold or who have complaints about a coworker. Ensure that when a customer emails the Customer Service Department, their initial email is met with an apology within 24 hours, as well as an attempt to resolve the situation by compensating them for their grievance in some way. More often than not, being professional, courteous and genuine will make enough of an impression upon ambivalent customers to win their loyalty.

3. Use a Rewards System

Simple yet effective, offering customers rewards for their loyalty to your company is one of the best ways to keep customers coming back. You should have your workflows triggered at this point. If you do not have a rewards system in place, establish one wherein the customer is afforded discounts and even free merchandise as an extension of your gratitude for their continued business. A rewards system is often enough of an incentive for consumers to choose your business over that of a competitor, even if your competitor's discounts are much deeper. As long as you offer a rewards program, you increase your chances of securing their business before they have a chance to vet a competitor.